4 theSun | FRIDAY AUGUST 21 2009

news without borders

Some of Karpal’s words

‘Applicants to quash Balkis missing: Witness
by S. Tamarai Chelvi
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
appears to have been omitted?
Aishah: I think (it is) missing ... the

dissolution are busybodies’

KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor mentri
besar’s wife and nine other parties were
mere “busybodies” for disputing the dis-
solution of Balkis, the welfare and charity
organisation of the wives of Selangor as-
semblymen and MPs, the High Court here
was told yesterday.
Federal counsel Maisarah Juhari
submitted that all the 10 parties have no
sufficient interest to challenge the deci-
sion of the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to
dissolve Balkis on Feb 11.
The Selangor mentri besar’s wife,
Puan Sri Salbiah Tunut, Permodalan Negri
Selangor Bhd, Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd
and the Selangor State Development
Corp are among the 10 applicants who
filed for a judicial review to quash the ROS
decision.
“The applicant (Salbiah) was never a
member of Balkis. The fact that she is the
mentri besar’s wife does not give her an
automatic right to membership of Balkis.
“The applicants are mere busybodies.
They have failed to show they are persons
who have been adversely affected by the
decision of the ROS,” Maisarah said in
objecting to the leave application.
She also said the applicants could not
be deemed as interested parties just be-
cause they had donated sums of money
and two parcels of land to Balkis.
“The applicants in this matter can only
be considered as donors who donated or
sponsored the donee, which in this case
is Balkis, as gifts,” she said.
She also submitted that the applica-
tion for judicial review was filed out of
time, which is in contravention of Order
53 Rules of the High Court.
“There is an appeal provision available
to the applicants, therefore they should
exhaust their domestic remedy by ap-
pealing to the minister as provided for by
section 18 of the Societies Act.”
Judicial commissioner Mohamad
Ariff Md Yusof fixed Sept 11 for decision.
– Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: A paragraph in
which lawyer Karpal Singh stated
that he “got nothing personal”, was
missing in a transcript of a press
conference, a witness in his trial
for sedition said yesterday.
Aishah Ahmad Azam, 25, an RTM
reporter who transcribed video
recordings of the press conference
on Feb 6, agreed that the paragraph
was missing when counsel Jagdeep
Singh Deo suggested that it ap-
peared to have been omitted.
She agreed with Jagdeep that
Karpal had said in the video record-
ings that he “got nothing personal”
because she had written the words
in her note book.
(The court was told earlier that
Karpal had said: “But I’ll make it very
clear, I got nothing personal in this
matter. It is a constitutional point
and I think one which should be res-
pected by all, including the Ruler.”)
Jagdeep also asked about the
numbering on the pages of the 10-
page transcript.
Jagdeep: Do you agree that on
page 7, the page number is not at
the bottom right as it is on the other
pages. It is slightly above?
Aishah: Yes.
Jagdeep: Do you agree that if the
page number is brought down just
as on the other pages, one paragraph
paragraph is missing.
Aishah agreed that she wrote
what was said in the video record-
ings in a note book and later typed
it into a computer.
She said she typed the paragraph
although it was not in the transcript
from pages 6 to 7.
Asked whether she had cut out the
paragraph, Aishah answered that she
had not. She said she did not know
who had cut out the paragraph.
Jagdeep: Do you agree the state-
ment is important as it states
Karpal’s stand that he has “nothing
personal”?
Aishah: Yes.
Jagdeep also asked Aishah
whether Karpal had said “I will sue
the Sultan”.
Jagdeep: You said Karpal (wanted
to) sue the Sultan. Where is it said
“I will sue the Sultan”?
Aishah: He said “we”.
Jagdeep: He did not say at the press
conference “I will sue the Sultan”?
Aishah: No (he did not).
Aishah agreed Karpal had ex-
plained in Malay during the press
conference that he would not be the
plaintiff and that Datuk Seri Nizar
Jamaluddin (the former Perak mentri
besar) would file the suit instead.
The hearing before Judicial
Commissioner Azman Abdullah
continues.

AG seeks declaration against Selangor ruling

PETALING JAYA: The Attorney-General’s Chambers filed an application
at the Shah Alam High Court yesterday to declare null and void a circular
by the Selangor government restricting the time and place at which
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers can question
members of the state government and their staff.
In a statement, the AG’s Chambers said it is seeking a declaration that
the Selangor State Government Secretariat Circular No. 4 2009, dated
July 28, concerning directives to attend interviews by the MACC to aid
investigations is invalid and should be cancelled. An affidavit was also filed
along with a certificate of urgency to get an early hearing date.
The circular prohibits Selangor government staff from talking to MACC
officers after office hours. A statement if taken, was to be taken in the
presence of a lawyer.

Subra gets injunction against Samy Vellu’s son

KUALA LUMPUR: Seputeh MIC division chairman Datuk S. Sub-
ramaniam obtained an interim ex-parte injunction from the High
Court yesterday to restrain Vell Paari, son of party president Datuk
Seri S. Samy Vellu, and two others from further publishing alleged
defamatory articles against him.
Justice Datin Zabariah Mohd Yusuf made the order in cham-
bers after hearing submissions from Subramaniam’s counsel, G.
Rajasingam and K. Saraswathy. Rajasingam said the inter-parte hear-
ing would be on Sept 10. In his application, Subramaniam, a former
MIC vice-president, said the publication of the alleged defamatory
words had tarnished his reputation and good name. – Bernama